Pumpkin Patch raises money and awareness for DeLaSalle Education Center

Jesus Medina made it his mission Saturday to pick the biggest pumpkin in the patch at Brookside Park.

The 5-year-old with a pumpkin painted on his right cheek could just barely lift the massive orange gourd off its straw bale.

“Mine’s the fattest,” Medina announced to his dad, Jesus Medina of Kansas City, and his five brothers and sisters.

The Medinas were among dozens of families who gathered Saturday in Brookside Park for the 10th annual Pumpkin Patch. The event raises awareness and money for DeLaSalle Education Center, an alternative charter high school in Kansas City. Pumpkin Patch is organized by the school’s Junior Board, a small group of volunteers and young professionals.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Brookside Park was transformed into a fall festival complete with an inflatable slide, live music, food, face painting and pony rides.

Patrick and Michaela Pearce of Leawood brought their 20-month-old son, Patrick Michael, to pick out pumpkins and ride a pony for the first time. The mellow toddler cracked a smile as he sat atop an equally mellow Shetland pony with a long blonde mane.

Across the park, 3-year-old Lucas Prier and his 7-year-old brother, David, dribbled a soccer ball with Sporting KC midfielder Paulo Nagamura. Despite their hustle, the Overland Park brothers couldn’t get the ball past Nagamura and into the small orange goal.

“Not yet,” said Nagamura.

About 400 pumpkins were donated by Liberty Fruit. Most of them were purchased for a suggested donation of $10, but some were reserved for a pumpkin-throwing tournament. The tournament was the main event at Pumpkin Smash, a new adults-only evening event also organized by the Junior Board.

Eli Rami, the chairman of both events, said adding the Pumpkin Smash — an event with lawn games, beer and cocktails — was a way to raise more awareness and money for DeLaSalle Education Center.

The school, at 3740 Forest Ave., has about 300 students. Emily Randall, DeLaSalle’s events coordinator, said the school has small classes, an experience-based learning approach and a team of therapists to help students cope with problems outside school.

DeLaSalle is “totally free for every kid who goes here,” Randall said, “so we need fundraisers like Pumpkin Patch to help support the school.”

Pumpkin Patch has raised about $40,000 annually for DeLaSalle over the past few years, Randall said.

Several seniors at the school volunteered at the event. Among them was 17-year-old Ashley Bynum, who plans to take communication classes at Metropolitan Community College after she graduates in December, and 17-year-old Jalen Lewis, who has plans to play baseball and study law at Labette Community College in Parsons, Kan., next year.

Lewis spoke at the Pumpkin Patch about DeLaSalle.

“The staff support is tremendous,” he said. “They’re pushing me. Anything is possible — I want to be an attorney.”

This story was originally published September 27, 2014 at 3:53 PM with the headline "Pumpkin Patch raises money and awareness for DeLaSalle Education Center."